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October 29, 2002 Can
this Reputation Be Saved? This
month: The short answer: She’s got a better shot than Martha at coming up smelling nice... ... but not by much. Rosie O’Donnell very publicly walked away from both her TV talk show and magazine in the last few months, and the fans were okay with that. (See this Rosie fan page for in-depth news.) Her message was that she wanted to spend more time with her family and needed more editorial control to ensure that the magazine with her name on the outside remained true to what was on her own inside. Her fans were okay with that too. But then her publisher Gruner + Jahr decided to fight back with a $100 million law suit and things got ugly. Among the 76 counts in the suit, G+J accuse her of “abdicating her past and current responsibilities and her fans.” They also described numerous incidences of rudeness by the former Queen of Nice. And, as always, there are behind-the-scenes money and media reputation factors that may be prompting G+J to try to get out of their contract. Even though Rosie the magazine was still at the top of the charts, it had lost significant circulation over the past year. Rosie the person’s recent coming out, her edgier tone and (gasp!) new, tough-looking hairdo have been thorny developments for some.
But ultimately, as with any crisis, it is the impact on the customers—in this case fans, subscribers and advertisers—that makes the difference. She did a great interview with Paula Zhan on CNN and conveyed all of her key messages. Chances are good that most of her audience was pleased with her rationale that she needed to retain editorial control. After all, that’s why they buy the magazine. However,
if the first few rounds are any indication, the legal battles will get
ugly, and more allegations will come out about unpleasant, if not scandalous,
behavior. Rosie’s ongoing travails are ideal headline fodder,
and already the message is shifting from “retain editorial control”
to “from Queen of Nice to Uber Bitch.” There are few topics,
unfortunately, that sell more tabloids than fallen-from-grace rich,
angry, overweight lesbians—whether there’s a real story
there or not. Rosie’s reputation will wilt, but with the help
of her loyal fans, and the straightforward honesty that is her nature,
it may bloom again. |
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